A Study of the University Teaching Excellence Program and Teaching Quality

[[abstract]]The purposes of this study were to explore the relationship and current situation between the university teaching excellence program and teaching quality, and to analyze the difficult positions and coping strategies of implementing the university teaching excellence program. Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, suggestions were given to policy makers, universities and future studies for reference. In order to achieve the purposes of this study, the methods adopted for this study included a documentary analysis and an interview with 13 study participants included policy makers, unit charges, and scholars who related to the university teaching excellence program. The nature of this study was a qualitative approach. According to the findings of this study, conclusions were synthesized as follows: 1.The implementation of the university teaching excellence program and context and current situation of promoting teaching quality were necessary relationship. Supports of policies and environments were key conditions. 2.The notion of planning the university teaching excellence program were improved the basic teaching mechanisms in the beginning, and developed the teaching characteristics and sustainable management at the end. 3.The indexes of the university teaching excellence program were fit the basic connotations of teaching quality, but lacked of teaching outputs, characteristics and qualitative indexes. 4.Shaping supports of external environments, high-grade leaders’ visions and commitments, and members’ ability and consensuses were key influential factors of implementing the university teaching excellence program. 5.The implementation of the university teaching excellence program were benefited the restructuring of organizational structure and changing of organizational culture. 6.The main difference between public and private universities’ performance was the distinction of organizational climate and culture. 7.The universities received subsidies or not didn’t reflect the degree of teaching quality necessarily. 8.The basic teaching mechanisms and institutions had been greatly improved at the present time. But the opinions about comprehensive promoting teaching quality were different. 9.There were six difficult positions of implementing the university teaching excellence program, including unit members lacked of stability and specialization and so on. 10.In response to above difficult positions, there were six coping strategies of implementing the university teaching excellence program, including decreased the unstable feeling of unit members and offered on-the-job training and so on. Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, suggestions were made for policy makers, universities, and future studies concerned.